This one has so many variety of authentic Indonesian food like Bebey Ijo, Ayam Woku Belanga, Sayor Lemak Gudek! Doing your prayers here is convenient too as Bay Hotel is right next to a mosque. Rumi and her family broke their fast at the Pan-Indonesian buffet restaurant this week. Let's see how it went!

Rumah Rasa – Halal Buffet Restaurant

Recommended for people who are looking for a halal buffet that offers more traditional Malay options rather than fusion ones.

All the food in the restaurant are inspired by the best of what the Malay archipelago has to offer, from Indonesia, Malaysia to Singapore.

Rumah Rasa is Bay Hotel’s in-house Pan-Indonesian restaurant that is famous for their tahu telur and buffet spread. (We’ll let you know what else you can try at the end of the article) Rumi and her family got to break their fast at the restaurant last Sunday and wants to share her experience with you!

Read on to spot the 10% special promo code you can use for your next buffet trip to Rumah Rasa.

Here are some of the highlights I’m going to cover

Accessible Location

The Halal Buffet Spread

Best Dishes (Buffet)

Praying Area- There’s Masjid Temenggong just beside the Hotel!

Ala Carte Dishes

Pricing & Other Details

Rumi’s sis happily eating

Easy Location

Right off the bat, the location of the restaurant is convenient for those taking public transport – both bus and train. (Our family car was at the car workshop for the weekend so we had to take public transport. Hehe.)

For drivers: You get a complimentary parking ticket too!

Bay Hotel is right opposite the Harbourfront MRT exit and Vivocity so it was easy to spot and walk to the hotel.

The entrance itself (on the inside of the hotel) has a minimalist look so it might not stand out right away. However, they do have a large poster plastered on a wall outside the hotel facing the road that passers-by and customers can’t miss. Look out for the poster down below!

The restaurant itself is dimly-lit with warm lights to create a cosy atmosphere for the families dining there, with the buffet spread being front and center of the space. There was also plenty of space near the reception where children were playing with each other while still staying within their parents’ view. #familyfriendly

The buffet layout

The Spread

Let me introduce to you the 9 different stations available to you at this Malay food-centric halal buffet.

1. Chick Kut Teh Station

Chick Kut Teh: Chicken and mushroom broth with a more herbal taste

The very first item at the table was their signature Chick Kut Teh. I think quite a number of people peered into the pot but ended up not getting it. The label itself does not do the broth justice because not a lot of non-Chinese customers knew what Chick Kut Teh is.

If you’re new to the world of Bak Kut Teh, it is originally a pork rib broth soup that is popular amongst the Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia. The halal version, the Chick Kut Teh, uses chicken bones instead. Rumah Rasa is one of the few halal buffet restaurants to offer this dish.

It is basically a sort of chicken soup with traditional Chinese herbs. As you can see, it looks like plain brown soup in the pot. Don’t judge a dish by its looks! This broth actually made my Best Dish list (more on the taste in the next section).

2. Gado – Gado Station

Gado Gado Station Part 1

I’ve never actually seen a gado-gado station this elaborate at a buffet before so it definitely captured my attention. The right side is furnished with the raw ingredients like fruits and vegetables while the left side had the cooked ingredients (seen in photo down below). The raw ingredients side also doubled as ingredients for a common salad but I liked that there was emping belinjo (the cracker-looking thing) nearby so it did not look like a full-on salad bar. My parents are a fan of this station and they would recommend anyone with the appreciation of gado-gado to try this out.

Gado-Gado Station Part 2

What’s available: Tempeh, fried tofu, boiled eggs, fishcake, boiled greenbeans and diced lontong. The curry-looking sauce on the left is the gado-gado sauce.

3. Lauk – Pauk (7 Main Dishes)

Now, to the most important part everyone wants to know.

“What are the main dishes? Is going to this buffet worth it? Or can I just cook the dishes myself?”

Not really, unless you’re someone who has crayfish and duck meat available in your freezer, you probably won’t be making some of these dishes at your own time. Speaking of crayfish, it’s the first dish that got me excited when I got there.

Udang Karang (Crayfish in Crabmeat Chili Sauce)

My sister and I love eating crayfish. So, this was a treat. (We ate 4 crayfishes each.) The crabmeat chili gravy was also a good pairing, as long as you eat it while it’s warm. The crayfish meat hardens up a little once it’s cooled down but did it bother me? No. Just let me have my crayfish.

Pro-tip: This ran out first, followed by the rice. If you’re cray for crayfish, you might want to get a few on your plate in case it runs out by the time you come back for refills.

Asam Pedas Kakap

My mum cooks dishes with siakap quite often so we did not really rush for this. However, the other customers liked this a lot probably because the fish was so fresh, the peeling process was most satisfying.

Rawan Sapi (Braised Beef in Buah Keluak)

If you’re not adventurous and need some time to get used to the buffet’s more unusual offerings, you can safely try Rawan Sapi. It’s similar to black pepper beef but less of a spicy aftertaste.

Cumi-Cumi Hitam (Squid)

My sister loves Cumi-Cumi Hitam because she enjoys the chewiness of the squid. The colour of the dish may be off-putting for some. However, once you’ve got a taste for this, you’ll be attracted to ink-blackened food. I also liked how the squid was cut into bite-sized pieces so I didn’t have to cut it up further.

Sayor Lemak Gudeg (Braised Young Jackfruit in Coconut Broth)

Honestly, I thought this was beef gravy until I read the label. The jackfruit pieces are no longer its yellow self and look more like medium-rare beef bits. If you’re not a big fan of jackfruit or coconut-milk dishes, you should stay away from this. That being said, you might want to try this dish at least once in your life, just to test your limits and ponder about being vegetarian. Jackfruit in this dish is sweet and creamy but with a mild fruity aftertaste, in case you were wondering.

Ayam Woku Belanga (Hot and Spicy Chicken with Pandan and Basil)

This reminds me of Ayam Masak Merah but not quite since its gravy was less concentrated. You can give this a miss if you’re used to having something similar at your family gatherings or local makcik canteen stalls. I think this was more for the tourists to experience, which is a cool consideration.

Bebek Cabai Ijo (Braised Duck in Green Chili Sauce)

This is an interesting dish because…green chili and duck! I’d say the novelty value did help boost the experience. It’s not hot and spicy for a chili dish. Its taste profile was more of tangy and sweet, with tender marinated braised duck. Another thing to take note, the meatier regions of the duck are more flavourful because they naturally absorb the gravy’s essence better.

Last but not least, the rice. (This ran out right after the crayfish, of course.) Don’t pile up on rice so that you don’t get full before trying the whole selection.

Nasi Telang (rice coloured with butterfly-pea flowers/kembang telang)

4. Kerabu Station

The kerabu is refreshing and helps complement the main dishes by varying the texture and taste. The trick is to pair the right kerabu with the right dish. For example, soft meat dishes with crunchy kerabu (achar and mangga) and vegetable dishes (gudeg/jackfruit) with meaty kerabu (squid). You can of course eat it any way you prefer but just know that over-mixing might cause them to cancel out each other’s flavours.

5. Bubur Station

I am thankful for the bubur at this halal buffet. Sometimes, all you want to do when breaking fast is eat something you’re familiar with rather than ending up with nothing to eat when it’s Maghrib and you haven’t decided on what to eat yet. If you’re not a bubur person, you might want to come early so that you can settle down with something you like before Maghrib comes round.

Bubur Asyura

6.Ulam & Condiments Station

My mum loved this station because she could make so many configurations of ulam…even though she ended up going with one combo and got full afterwards. It’s the thought and happiness it brings that counts, I guess! Look closely and you’ll see a variety of eggs in the baskets, like century egg and sambal oval quail egg. Also, 5 condiments for us to choose from! We took all five and taste-tested it with the emping belinjo (crackers). I’m not into it but it was fun to try new condiments and sauces.

Ulam StationCondiments for Ulam

Also, thanks for all the labels, Rumah Rasa! Would have been so lost without them.

7. Assorted Kueh & Desserts

Their dessert range was decent (with one memorable exception).

Kuih DadarPutri SalatCekodok PisangYay, bandung!Mango Sticky Rice

They also had fruits – plum, jambu air, lychee, longan, starfruits. Pretty cool mix but it was not cut into bite-sized pieces so we left it alone. It might not be special to us but there were tourists at the other tables who enjoyed seeing the fruit as a whole before eating them.

8. Asam Laksa Station

The asam laksa and roti john stations are only available from Sun – Thurs this Ramadhan. Realistically, I would not have tried this laksa because it takes a bit of time and effort to have done. I prefer having something prepared for me to eat already, especially if I’m fasting. Nonetheless, this is a good alternative if you’re skipping rice.

9. Roti John Station

Roti John (Mutton; left. Plain; right)

Sitting next to the laksa, its location is not very obvious (at the windows facing the foyer, by the way) but you can probably smell the asam laksa from afar which would help guide you there.

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Not to be confused with its cousi Chendol, Esteler is actually a non-gula melaka dessert. Instead, it has avocado, coconut meat, cincau, jackfruit and other fruits are served with coconut milk mixed with sweetened condensed milk. The coconut milk gravy was sweet but the fruits were mild so it helped balance the sweetness level. For my mum who preferred less sweet, she would have more of the fruits than the coconut gravy in a spoonful. As for my sis, she preferred more sweet so she had more gravy than the fruits.

All-Stars

Remember this? It’s the the Chick Kut Teh again! #underdog

Seriously, where have I been all this time? The broth was so light yet flavourful, with the char kuey making it feel more filling as a dish. Ramadhan has got me so thirsty that this was the perfect way to break my fast. I hope Chick Kut Teh catches on so that it’ll be widely available all over Singapore! For now, I’ll have to learn how to make my own since I’ve got no plans to break my wallet coming to Rumah Rasa for my cravings.

My dad eating everything with the emping belinjo because he got addicted to it.

Somehow the emping belinjo helped complete every main dish available. Its crunchiness gives the rice dishes more texture and was also a good base to test out the condiments at the ulam station. Also, I didn’t realise this before but the bitter profile of the emping helps to cleanse your palate too!

Pisang Sago (Banana Pudding with Gula Melaka and Sago)

This is a great show cap even though it was least expected to be the star of the show. After Ishak, the servers brought out the desserts and we were expecting typical Malay puddings/custards but NO! This unusual pudding with smashed banana bits really made me feel all kinds of happy emotions because it was just such a new sensation to my tongue. While the sweet gula melaka flavour was pretty common, the pudding-banana-sago texture combo was not. Each element melted in my mouth but at different timings so I was taken aback. The whole mouth orchestra lasted five minutes tops because of the small serving size (probably because it was very sweet). Even then, it left a truly lasting impression.

Note to self: Favourite this dessert.

For reading this far, you get TTEENN PERRCCENTT (yes, we’re spelling it this way so people can’t search it. hehe.) off your buffet bill. Even if you don’t have a FRIENDS PASS. Quote ‘halalfoodhunt’ when booking in advanced to cash it in. Thank you. You may now continue (You can find the full price of this buffet at the end of this article).

This is a shout out to the unusually-shaped but practical spoons at Rumah Rasa. Dear spoons, you were lovely to cut with and shovel food into my mouth. You will be missed.

I’m loving these shovels (spoons)!

I would also like to raise the fact that none of the dishes were too spicy so it was good for our empty tummies. Having spicy food after fasting for a whole day spells gastric woes for some people. Thank you, Rumah Rasa, for taking this into account!

Prayer Break at Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim

If you’re breaking fast at Rumah Rasa, you don’t have to worry about finding prayer space. Technically, it’s not even a musollah since it’s an actual mosque. My family took turns to leave the table to pray Maghrib (which also serves as a rest period for your tummy before you fill up again with buffet food!). You can see how close the hotel is to Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim below.

Next to Bay Hotel – Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim

I have to admit, the way to the female ablution area and prayer hall was a bit confusing.

How to get to the female ablution area:

Enter the mosque and climb uphill until you see the small concrete “hut” that is separate from the main prayer building.

There will be an ablution area for men at the side of the small “hut”. You have to go pass that and enter the back of the “hut”.

If you see a brown bench and shoe rack, you’re at the right place. There will be signs there to say it is the female toilet and ablution area.

How to get to the female prayer hall:

The female section is behind the brown partitions of the prayer hall.

From the ablution area, you have to go down a short flight of stairs to get to the prayer hall corridor.

Walk at the corridor to the back of the main prayer hall to find the doors leading to the female prayer hall.

Directions to Female Prayer Hall

Final Pointers

My family had a good time mostly because my parents ended up educating my sister and I about some of the Malay food that we were not used to (e.g. Bebek Cabai, Gudeg, Kerabu Suhun, Cekodok). I would say that the buffet itself was a conversation starter which helps facilitate family bonding. If you are jio-ing older relatives who prefer traditional Malay food, you should consider this buffet. Best of all, some of the items are so unique to some parts of Indonesia that you probably won’t be able to taste elsewhere in Singapore.

Even if the food style may not be to my liking (I’m a millennial after all), I appreciate the experience of being able to try some of the Malay food I never knew existed, all in one sitting.

Pro-tip:

Bring breath mints if you’re not heading straight home after the buffet. Especially for the jackfruit and petai-lovers.

Know the exact time for Maghrib if you’re fasting. It is not clear whether there was azan playing in the restaurant (if it was, it was too soft). My dad’s azan app started playing, which alerted everyone that it was Maghrib. I think we were also anticipating the restaurant to play the azan at the same time but I didn’t hear it. Confused Muslim customers nearby looked at each other, saw us eat, then started eating themselves.

Nenek can probably cook better but for the times when she can no longer do so, this is your next best option. Enjoy!

Family Photo ft. Sup Buntut and Esteler!

You can even stay Rumah Rasa overnight, sahur there, break your fast there, do terawih at Masjid Temenggong because…Rumah Rasa servs breakfast from 05:00AM daily during the fasting period and also has a takeaway set for 2 and 4 at $40 nett and $80 nett respectively.

That’s it for my review! My mum wants to say thank you Rumah Rasa, Halalfoodhunt and all of you readers!

Isuramuya Japanese Restaurant and Marketplace is unassumingly simple as it blends into the interior style of the JCube mall. While most Japanese restaurants go for the night-in-the-city style with their dim lighting, Isuramuya was committed to a fresh open-concept with no walls between the seated customer and those who were window-shopping, further creating an illusion of space with their light-coloured bamboo theme and soft lighting.

Skip to:

The Ambience

As you enter the restaurant, you will be greeted by two exciting aisles on both sides, stocked with an array of packaged, halal-Japanese food and drinks. Each foreign-looking item has been delicately labelled in English for non-Japanese speaking patrons. As you come to the end of the aisle in awe, a smiling hostess guides you to your seats. For those who have fidgety friends, have a seat next to the parapets so they can look below to the hypnotic game of ice hockey on the ground floor rink in the evenings to distract them between courses.

The Appetiser

Assorted Gyozas

Gyoza – From left: Green Tea, Black Sesame, Original

Tempura – Edamame Bean

Takoyaki with Fish Flakes

Almost all the items on the modest menu are accompanied by visuals to help you figure out what you are eating without having to google Japanese dishes every so often. I had the fried gyoza (dumpling) for starters which comprised of 3 different flavours: original, yuzu (Japanese pomelo) and black sesame. I will save my comments since I am not a gyoza-person.

Nato

Then, it was time for the novelty item, nato (fermented beans and pasteurised quail egg). Tip: Don’t let nato sit out for more than 15 minutes or else, it will leave a strong pungent scent across your whole table.

Nato – Quail Egg and Fermented Beans

The Side Dishes

After the nato, we were served with beautifully-cut and vibrant-coloured sashimi. There are 2 variations of Bluefin tuna at different price points. The otoro (Bluefin tuna belly) is pricier than the maguro (Bluefin tuna) because it has more fat content. The fat allows it to melt in your mouth like silky gelato even though it has a contradicting hardness when you first bite into it. Nonetheless, the maguro is still worthy of your mouth. After a few swings at the otoro, the maguro is a good finisher to help you return to planet Earth and back to normal food consistency after the flying in the heavens with the melt-fest that is the otoro.

Bluefin Tuna Sashimi

Bluefin Tuna Sashimi

Bluefin Tuna Belly Sashimi

Bluefin Tuna Sashimi

Sweet Botan-Ebi (Prawn)

Sweet Ebi Sashimi

The best part was the large ebi (prawn) sashimi. The owner mentioned that the Japanese prawns are particularly sweet because of the way they are bred and the water they live in. You can read more on how to eat it properly here. My first thought while eating it was mild fruit jelly, rather than seafood. I would honestly return and let my friends have a go at it because it brings happy childhood memories with its nuanced sweetness – definitely gives the table something to talk about.

More ebi sashimi for us

For the salmon lovers, it is good to know that Isuramuya is generous with their fresh cuts.

The Main Course

We moved on to the 3 variations of their ramen: shio (sea salt), shoyu (soya sauce), miso (Japanese fermented beans).

Ramen

Ramen – From left: Shio (Sea Salt), Original, Shoyu (Soya Sauce)

Close-up: Original Ramen

The sea salt gives the soup a sort of tactile smoothness in your throat, unlike regular salted soup. The shoyu ramen was particularly enjoyable because it was most familiar. Singaporeans who are new to Japanese ramen can try the shoyu and slowly build up to other variations (or have one friend order this to share as a fail-safe dinner option).

Yaki Soba

Yaki Soba (Super Spicy)

Then, it was time for yaki soba. I tried the hot and spicy version first and guys, let me tell you, I could not even get through a forkful (like 3 strands). Ssam yang noodle lovers should definitely try it because it is a whole other challenge. While I was nursing my mouth with more green tea, the normal yaki soba ran out. So, that should be a good indicator that it was a crowd favourite.

The Desserts

Ice Creams, Sorbet and Cakes

The most memorable for me would be the Yuzu sorbet. After a heavy meal, all I needed was something to wash it down and clean my palette. The light citrus and minty flavour combined with its fine, almost-velvety ice texture did that surprisingly well. Forget ice-creams, guys, sorbet is the way to go. Of course, there are matcha-flavoured and sea-salt-flavoured ice cream if you’re feeling indulgent.

Icecream: From left – Green Tea, Sea Salt. Sorbet: Yuzu

Fresh from the marketplace freezer: My new fav – Yuzu Sorbet

Fluffy Cakes – From left: Original, Chocolate, Green Tea

Service

Unfortunately, the smileless waiting staff seemed unfamiliar with their duties and nervous during the dinner service. It was difficult to get a hold of them since they seemed to be avoiding eye contact. However, the warmness and genuinity of the hostess and owner made up for it when we were there as they shared historical and scientific facts about the food we were eating. Don’t be afraid to ask them to tell you more about your food’s history! They really add on to your experience in the restaurant.

From left: Saf, lady boss of Isuramuya, Rumi (me)

Recommendation

Overall, I would say that the pricier food items are the ones worth trying. I would recommend Isuramuya to small groups of friends or family because the food, side activities and ambience sparks group discussions that large groups may not be able to hold. A little ambience music would have been great, but oh well. Hopefully, the waiting staff improves so that everyone can have a pleasant experience. Lastly, it would also do you good if you checked out some Youtube videos on Japanese food etiquette beforehand to get the full tasting experience.

]]>https://sifted.halalfoodhunt.com/halal-restaurant-jurong-west-fresh-sashimi/feed/0Enter a Slower Pace of Life Slurping Up Beef Pho and More at The Orange Lanternhttps://sifted.halalfoodhunt.com/enter-slower-pace-life-slurping-beef-pho-orange-lantern/
https://sifted.halalfoodhunt.com/enter-slower-pace-life-slurping-beef-pho-orange-lantern/#respondSun, 09 Oct 2016 14:45:39 +0000http://sifted.halalfoodhunt.com/?p=3433

“Mmm…,” said my lunch buddy, Sham as she slurped up the beef pho from Orange Lantern. The beef pho had arrived piping hot with thinly slice beef, loaded with fresh mint, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, limes, and cili padi. This is just what you need on cold rainy days. You can feel the soup clear up all the […]

This is just what you need on cold rainy days. You can feel the soup clear up all the gunk in your sinuses and all the greens make you feel healthier immediately. In fact, just entering The Orange Lantern makes you feel like you stepped into a slower pace of life, away from the hectic fast-paced world in normal-day Singapore. There are lanterns, and paintings of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and Ho Chin Minh City which the founder and Managing Director, Alvin Lee had commissioned.

“I wanted to introduce to people what Vietnam is like through the taste of this land. I myself first tasted Vietnamese food while I was studying in Australia and really loved the food. It was really common there but when I came back to Singapore, hardly anyone heard of Vietnamese food. Thai food was more popular. So my initial customers were mainly expats, until Vietnam became a more popular tourist area. Only then did I got more and more customers.”

Healthy Wraps and Crunchy Rolls

Vietnamese food is known for one thing. Being healthy. Especially with dishes like Fresh gỏi cuốn. These are the paper-thin translucent rice paper wraps with prawn and salad and lots of vegetables which you have for appetisers. Being typically Singaporean, one of our favourite food was the Nem Cung Đình Imperial Rolls dunked in fish sauce. That crunch on the roll was so delicate!

There’s many types of rolls to choose from- first of all, the familiar and tangy BBQ Chicken marinated with Lemongrass or Mango; next, the Avocado and Apple for the crunchy fruity flavour; Prawn for seafood lovers; Mushroom and Tofu for vegetarians; and lastly for something different, Smoked Duck or Sardine Fish. Any 2 rolls is priced at $6.90 while 3 pieces is priced at $8.90. Their salads are at $4.90 with toppings like pomelo, mango, beef, chicken, or smoked duck. Very affordable!

Making halal Vietnamese food

“It was not that difficult to make Vietnamese food halal. In line with wanting to introduce the cuisine to more tastebuds in Singapore, the only thing I had some trouble with was to make the pho taste as good as Vietnamese’s pho. This took some rounds of tasting,” said Alvin who still develops the recipes himself from a central kitchen.

Recently, he has hired a chef from Hanoi- Chef Vu Ngoc Anh to introduce traditional tastes of Hanoi to Singapore, like the Hanoi Tumeric Fish with Dill and Scallion, Saigon Laksa Noodle Soup, and Vietnamese Chargrilled Chicken Satay and Sugarcane Prawn with Vermicelli and Salad.

Special creations by Chef Vu Ngoc Anh from Hanoi

“I’ve introduced these traditional tastes from Hanoi, but Singaporeans would still stick to the familiar food, so the Saigon Laksa is still the most popular among locals!” said Alvin.

Sweet and simple

Next, we finished the meal with a humble dessert- four pieces of Cassava Coconut Cakes which is served warm and just melts on your tongue. This is so far away from cupcakes and fancy decorated cakes that are popular right now but once it lands in your tummy, you smile from satisfaction of how simple food can make you happy and feel so blessed you are able to enjoy this in Singapore. You are reminded again of everything which is Vietnamese- simple, but packs a punch.

Nice and Slow is the Way to Go

One more thing that’s tiny but powerfully packed is this Vietnamese coffee which Sham says is delicious, and she’s one coffee connoisseur. Vietnamese coffee is almost always drip coffee. Go out to any Vietnamese street coffee stall and you’ll find these aluminium drip filters and cups of exquisitely aromatic black coffee underneath. The Vietnamese like coffee nice and slow, just like their conversation and their lifestyle. Setting up the filter and choosing right time to drink is an art in itself. Drip coffee is very thick, and the coffee bean is usually intentionally over-roasted, making it quite bitter. Now you don’t have to travel all the way to Vietnam to experience this state of mind. Just walk into The Orange Lantern and order coffee and cassava coconut cake for tea.

When you’re looking for comforting food, especially soups, The Orange Lantern still makes one of the best halal beef pho (S$12.90) in Singapore and you can have it in many locations around Singapore. Click the links below for full address and more information about the restaurant highlights.